


stuck with you

by unsureavenger



Series: in the canon universe [13]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Coronavirus, F/M, POV Alternating, Post-Canon, Pregnancy, Quarantine, Unplanned Birth, lockdown - Freeform, pregnant!Piper, takes place in 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:35:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25060981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unsureavenger/pseuds/unsureavenger
Summary: Taking place in March 2020, our favourite demigods have been quarantined in Manhattan along with the rest of New York.Percy collapses, Piper goes into labour, Hazel gets drunk, and Calypso sets off a sentient robot — they’re in for a wild ride.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase & Jason Grace & Percy J. & Hazel Levesque & Piper McLean & Leo Valdez & Frank Zhang, Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Calypso/Leo Valdez, Hazel Levesque/Frank Zhang, Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Series: in the canon universe [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2178210
Comments: 6
Kudos: 126





	stuck with you

**Author's Note:**

> Warning(s): There will be in-depth descriptions of an inability to breathe 
> 
> (This was written in, and takes place in April, and is canon compliant up to The Blood of Olympus.) 
> 
> I wrote Percy as a NYPD detective in this, but that doesn’t mean that he would’ve condoned the actions of the police against the Black Live Matters movement. I’ll be editing this fic soon to change some things relating to that.

"Jason! Orange juice, please!" Piper's voice travelled through the apartment, bouncing off the walls and reverberating crazily. 

Jason winced at the holler, but he obliged anyway, pulling out the orange juice from the fridge and adding it to the bundle of things in his arms. 

The sizzling sound of french toast on the pan filled the kitchen, the background sounds of the TV filling the living room. It was Monday morning, and what would usually have been a busy day of work was now a boring day of being cooped up at home. 

The Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic had quickly overwhelmed the world within mere months. Life in Manhattan, easily one of the worst-hit areas of the USA, had come to a standstill. 

Jason still couldn't believe the pictures of an empty Times Square and deserted roads. Everything was very surreal. 

He slid the food off of the pan and placed it on the tray with the rest of the breakfast items. 

"I think I should go on MasterChef," Jason declared as he traipsed into the living room and set the tray down on the coffee table. 

Piper's eyes never tore themselves off the screen, but the corner of her mouth quirked up as she leaned forward to grab the food. Jason allowed himself two seconds of amusement to watch as she struggled to reach over her very, very pregnant belly. 

"Okay, you're killing me," Jason chuckled, passing her the plate. 

Piper was in her 38th week of her pregnancy, about eight days past her due date. It left them on edge the first few days past, but now, both of them had agreed that worrying over this would just making everything worse. 

The first weeks into the pandemic, Jason and Piper had been worried about going to a hospital to give birth, based on the risk of transmitting the coronavirus to themselves or the baby in the process. 

After research and an inquiry with Will, they'd settled on doing a home birth, deciding that it wasn't worth it to go to the hospital. 

"Do you have any conference calls today?" Piper asked, munching on her toast, satisfied and full. 

Jason pulled a face. "Jam-packed, actually. It's like I'm working twice as much as I normally would." He frowned. "Are we supposed to Zoom call the gang?" 

Piper nodded tiredly. "At 10." 

"Can we bail?" Jason said hopefully. 

"No," Piper insisted. "We haven't seen them face-to-face in a month. Every time we try to organise a call, someone has to bail." 

Jason sighed. "Fair enough. I do miss them." He used to live with the three other guys in this apartment, but they had since moved out. Looking around sometimes made him nostalgic. "I miss Frank's cooking. I was joking earlier; I'm a terrible cook—"

Piper gasped suddenly, hand grasping his arm. "Jason!"

"What? What?" Jason panicked, frantically turning to her. 

"I-I think I just had my first contraction," Piper stammered. 

Jason's eyes widened. "Oh my God! Okay-okay, I-I'll get Will on the phone, I'll get your pillow—"

"No, stupid," Piper interrupted. "The baby won't come for hours. I have to wait till the contractions are consistent and five minutes apart." 

Jason blinked. He had fallen asleep reading one of those parenting books, basically skipping over everything related to the birth. In hindsight, that probably hadn't been the best idea. 

"So we just...wait?" Jason voiced uncertainly. When she nodded, Jason leaned back into the couch. "That's anticlimactic." 

<<< >>>

Breathe in. 

Breathe out. 

Calypso followed her mantra as she felt the magic course through her, every fibre of her body singing with it as she twirled her hands with the over-practised movements and familiarity it always brought. 

The breeze she manipulated brushed past her cheeks, making her laugh at its playfulness. Magic always brought her comfort. She hummed under her breath, the song only strengthening her powers. 

Her music was interrupted by Calypso's foot hitting a metallic object, an ungraceful "oof!" escaping her before she fell head over heels to the ground. 

"Leo!" Calypso growled, recognising it as one of his bots. A demigod with ADHD being cooped at home was one thing. Then there was Leo. 

He'd made up for his boredom and daily monotony by tinkering, constructing about a dozen things a day, then taking them apart. 

This was one of his prototypes for a cleaning robot — leave it to Leo to find a way around doing his chores. Calypso opened her mouth to shout for him, but she paused short when she realised that her breeze was gone. 

Magic didn't just disappear. Sometimes it dissipated. Sometimes it returned to her. This was just...gone. 

"What..." Calypso's voice trailed off as she heard a low creaking noise. In horror, her gaze drifted down slowly to the cleaning not, the limbs starting to shift. 

Uh oh. 

Her magic animating the breeze must've entered the bot when she lost control. Which meant that the robot was now...

"Leo!" Calypso yelled again when the robot burst into action, spraying soap everywhere and the vacuum function revving up. 

Racing out of the room, Calypso slammed the door behind her, chest heaving with pants. Oh no, oh no, oh no...

Her boyfriend sauntered past the door, grinning goofily to himself. 

"Calypso?" Leo asked in confusion. "Are you okay?" 

Calypso gazed warily at him. "We, uh, we have a problem." 

<<< >>>

Hazel set up the drinks on the floor in front of them. On her last run to the grocery store, she had picked up a whole bunch of alcohol. Lots of people around her looked extremely judgemental and she received lots of raised eyebrows. At this point, frankly, Hazel couldn't care less. 

Some people panic-buy toilet paper. She panic-bought alcohol. 

After weeks of being on the front lines transporting sick patients, Frank was finally on his first week off. They'd made an agreement to take today off work and get drunk together. 

A kind of happy hour at home. 

"Boo," Frank joked as he sat down in front of her. "Okay, are you sure about this?" 

"Yes," Hazel said seriously. "I haven't had any contact with anyone except for you. I think this is the longest we've gone without having a night out. I need this, Frank." 

So they started, gradually proceeding to take shots and play various drinking games. In her haste to do anything to make her life less boring, Hazel drank too much way too fast, and she ended up drunk before 7 o'clock. 

Everything was funny, Hazel found. She giggled enough to have to catch her breath every few minutes. Dizziness overtook her mind as she stumbled back and forth through the apartment, eventually collapsing into Frank's arms, both of them equally tired. 

<<< >>>

"Piper's gone into labour!" 

The door to the bedroom burst open, Percy standing in the doorway breathlessly as he waved his phone around like a madman. "Jason said—"

"Percy!" Annabeth hissed furiously. She gestured back just as wildly, pointing to her computer. 

Percy took into account her angry glare and the faces on her computer. Oh. Oh. She was in a call. 

"Sorry," Percy called before he backed out of the room embarrassedly, flushing red. 

Annabeth buried her face in her hands as her colleagues released a few laughs. Honestly, it wasn't even that big of a deal. Everyone had kids or family members intruding on calls by accident. 

But today had been her pitch for a hospital laboratory — her first time leading a big project. She'd spent nights fretting over it, stressing and telling Percy about it. How had he forgotten? 

The rest of the presentation went smoothly, and as soon as it was over, Annabeth stormed out of the bedroom like a whirlwind. "Percy Jackson!" she yelled. 

He had this week off, the city's detectives taking different shifts to accommodate for the lack of protective gear. 

When Percy was out of the house, the two of them had had a few hours a day to themselves, even calling each other for comfort during working hours. Now that they were both home together so much...

Annabeth loved Percy. She really did. But she needed her personal space. Truthfully, if it had been anyone else, she would've probably already thrown them out the window. With Percy, she'd survived a month or so. But the lockdown was starting to get to her. 

Percy was sitting in the dining room, food out on the table. He waved sheepishly at her. "Sorry!" he instantly yelped. "I—"

"No," Annabeth snapped. "Percy, come on." She groaned. "You knew I had an important presentation. My boss was there — hell, his boss was there." 

"I know," he reiterated. "I just saw the message and didn't think." 

"That's the problem," Annabeth said emphatically. "You never think." 

Percy recoiled like he'd been slapped. 

Guilt immediately pooled in Annabeth's chest, but she shoved it away. No, they'd avoided a big fight for a month. Their time had run out. 

"I have another call," Annabeth muttered, watching his cold expression. She pushed herself off the table, returning to the bedroom. 

Unfortunately, she couldn't concentrate the entire meeting. Her mind kept drifting to Percy. What she'd said was stupid, and she hadn't meant it in the slightest. 

Gods, he'd even made dinner for them. Annabeth had just been so busy with work lately that they hadn't even had a date night in ages. 

Annabeth made a mental note to apologise to him, when her phone started buzzing. 

The name "Percy" was displayed on the screen, and her guilt dissipated, replaced with irritation. What did he want now? 

Annabeth glanced at the clock. She had seven minutes of the meeting left. Percy could wait three minutes. 

The call faded as she ignored it, but Percy tried her again, forcing Annabeth to hang up the phone. 

When the meeting ended, Annabeth grabbed her phone and stalked out, trying to suppress her anger before she confronted him. What could possibly—

A cry tore from Annabeth's lips when she entered the living room. 

Percy—Percy was collapsed into the ground, clutching his chest as he hacked out a shuddering breath. 

Her knees buckled s she crumpled to her knees beside him. "Percy!" Annabeth gasped. "No-What happened?" His coughs wracked his body, and he couldn't even get a word out. 

Percy's lips were tinged blue, his eyes seized in panic as every ragged breath he took cut through the air. Annabeth felt the cold fingers of terror clench her heart. 

It took a few seconds for Annabeth's instincts to kick in. Her hand drifted up as if of its own accord, pressing the palm to his forehead. Gods, Percy was burning up. 

Fever, difficulty breathing...Annabeth felt horror wash over her. 

Percy seemed to have reached the same conclusion as her. "Stay," he choked. "Away." 

"No," Annabeth's voice cracked. "Oh my Gods, Percy." Her hand fumbled weakly for the phone as she dialled 911, finger shaking uncontrollably. "It's gonna be okay. Hang in there." 

"Hello? Hello?" Annabeth stammered into the phone once the other line picked up. "Please, I-I-my husband's collapsed — he's having trouble breathing and his lips are turning blue — he's still awake but I don't know what to do—"

"Ma'am, please wait there, an ambulance will be over in a few minutes to pick you up," the operator said firmly. 

Annabeth managed to get out their address, her own breathing starting to escalate into hyperventilation as Percy continued to cough. 

She sat him up against the couch, pulling an arm around him as they sat together. They'd already been alone together for days. If Percy was infected, was there really much of a chance that she wasn't? 

It didn't matter. Annabeth would risk her life for him. Young people weren't suppose to be this susceptible to the infection, but Percy's symptoms were about as bad as it got. 

"I love you," she whispered through a sob, lacing her fingers in his and he shook against her. "Please, please, promise me you'll get through this." 

"...try," Percy's voice was barely above a whisper. 

<<< >>>

"What are we going to do?" Leo said frantically, pressing his back to the door, helping Calypso hold the robot inside the room. 

The whirring noises from within were deafening, and in the back of his mind, Leo wondered what their neighbours must think. 

"It's your bot!" Calypso shrieked. "Disable it or something! Pull the plug!" 

Leo gave her an incredulous look. "It's a robot, not a washing machine!" He added, "And it has your magic. I don't know how your magic works." 

"It needs a host," Calypso said impatiently. "If we get rid of the robot it'll dissipate." 

"So back to square one," Leo grunted as a heavy force painfully shoved the door into his back. He pulled out a hammer from his toolbelt. "It's like a monster, right? So we fight it like we'd fight a monster." 

Calypso spread her feet to brace the weight. "It's a machine," she enunciated. "Celestial bronze won't work on it." 

"But everything else will," Leo reminded her. "Okay, on the count of three, we both dive away and the bot rolls out. Then we leap into action." 

"That's your master plan?" Calypso demanded. "How have you not died yet?" 

"Luck," Leo said truthfully. "And some skill." He took a deep breath. "Okay, three, two, one—"

Leo leaped forward like his life depended on it — which it probably did, based on some of the tools he'd equipped the robot with. He reminded himself to never, ever leave any of his machines lying around anymore. The last thing he wanted was Calypso accidentally animating their blender. 

Springing to his feet, Leo yelped as he had a near-miss with the bot's broomstick, which was sweeping in every direction, knocking off a vase of flowers. 

The ceramic crashed to the ground, splintering into a thousand pieces. "I am going to kill that robot," Calypso snarled, her hands outstretched as she ripped the broomstick out of its hands with her magic. 

Unfortunately, all that did was anger the robot, and it set its sights on Calypso. 

The vacuum turned on, sucking up magazines and sending things into a frenzy. Leo was hit in the face by ornaments that were whirling around in the mini-tornado. He raised his hands to block, spluttering as he tried to squint past. 

Calypso was trying to hold the machine off as it backed her into the kitchen. She grabbed a pan off the stove and slammed it into the robot's face. Leo watched the metal melt slightly from the heat, and looked down at his own hands as a crazy idea slipped into his head. 

Leo sprinted towards Calypso, using the dining room chair to propel himself upwards as he grabbed the robot's face, heating up his hands to melt the machinery. 

Before Leo knew what was happening, a large wave of water nearly drowned him. He released the machine with an indignant shout, spluttering and brushing water out of his eyes. 

"It's not powered by electricity!" Leo yelled, Calypso standing there with an empty pot that she'd used to douse the robot with water. 

"Did you have another idea?" she shrieked back. 

"Can you..." Leo waved his hands around unintelligibly, stumbling backwards as the machine started to approach them. "Suck it out?" When she gave him a confused look, he tried again. "The magic. Can you take it back?" 

Calypso looked at the robot warily. "Maybe. It would have to keep still for a couple of minutes though." 

"The Chinese handcuffs!" Leo said suddenly. "I kept them as a joke so I could tease Frank! If I can handcuff it to something that'll hold it—"

"The garbage chute!" Calypso interjected, nodding vigorously. "The handle of it should be firm enough to keep it there until I get the spirit out." 

Calypso eyed the machine. "I'll distract it if you get the handcuffs." 

"They're in the bedroom," Leo said breathlessly. 

She spared a moment to turn around and give him a laugh. "Kinky." 

"I love you," Leo blurted out. Only Calypso could make such a bad joke at his expense while they were fighting a magical robot. 

<<< >>>

Piper's agonising shouts filled the apartment as Jason helplessly knelt by her side, ferrying food, cold towels and drinks back and forth. 

"I really wish I could take some of the pain," Jason pleaded. 

"I wish you could too!" Piper released something between a yell and a cry. A white towel soaked in cold water lay on her forehead, but it didn't help the perspiration matted on her neck. Her hair was up in a braided bun, thankfully out of her face while the contractions wracked her body. 

Her eyes squeezed shut so tightly that stars swam behind her eyelids. 

Jason's phone vibrated and he picked it up warily reading a text. 

"Annabeth says she and Percy have to bail on the Zoom call tonight," Jason said warily. 

"What?" Piper screamed, her vision tinged red from the pain. A low growl escaped her lips. "I'm going to kill them—I'm having a baby—"

Jason's breath caught in his throat. "Holy Hades. Percy's in the hospital!" 

"What?" Piper felt her heart skip a beat, fear grasping her. "What happened?" 

"Annabeth thinks it's the coronavirus," Jason said worriedly. 

For a moment, Piper's concern overwhelmed her pain. Hormones and worry pushed her on the verge of tears. A sharp pain ripped through her abdomen, and Piper really did scream this time. 

"Jason," she said, trembling. "Something's-something's wrong. The pain, it-it's different." The contractions were painful, but it was like her body telling her 'this is right'. The pain she was feeling right now wasn't. 

Piper clenched her fist, head thrown back as she panted. "No, I can do this," she gritted her teeth. 

"Piper," Jason warned. "This is dangerous." 

"So is going to the hospital!" Piper gasped. "I can't—I can't risk the baby—"

"You won't," Jason promised. "And I can't risk you either." 

Piper gripped his hand, closing her eyes as she blinked back tears. "Okay, okay. So I guess we're going to the hospital." 

Jason was already pulling out his phone, dialling Hazel's number. 

"Hazel!" Jason raised his voice over Piper's cries. "Can you shadowtravel us? Piper needs the hospital—"

"Shaaaaadowtravel?" Hazel's voice sounded all slurred, a hiccup ending the question. 

"Are you drunk?" Piper yelled furiously. "Hazel!" 

"I'm sorry!" came Frank's voice, he, too, giggling 

Jason hung up with a groan. Piper's head spun as Jason swung her swiftly into his arms and started racing out the door. 

The car ride was a blur. The next thing Piper properly registered was a doctor with red hair checking her heartbeat and shouting instructions. 

"Wait! What's going on?" Piper cried. "Jason!" 

A familiar blonde refocused into view, and Jason's worried face was at her side. "He's in distress. For some reason he's not getting enough oxygen." 

Piper had never been more afraid in her entire life. Not when she was facing down Gaia or fighting giants. This was horror and fear all at once. "Is he gonna be okay?" she begged. "Please, save him." 

"Piper," the doctor came into her eyeline. "Everything's going to be fine. I'm Dr Evangeline Harrow, I'll be performing your caesarean surgery today." 

"A c-section?" Piper cried. "But-but—"

"It's the only way to get your baby out safely," Dr Harrow said firmly. 

Piper glanced up hesitantly at Jason. She'd heard about c-sections before. They would cut her womb open and manually take out the baby. She had never considered it as an option before, assuming that everything would go as planned during the birth. 

She was supposed to be at Camp Half-Blood right now, surrounded by her family and Will. 

Piper inhaled deeply. "Okay. We'll do it." She swallowed. "Can, uh, can Jason be in there with me?" 

"It's up to the father," Dr Harrow said. "She'll be open on the bed, so I hope you aren't queasy." 

Jason gave her hand a comforting squeeze. "I'd follow you off the ends of the Earth, Pipes." 

Piper returned a weak smile. "You might change your mind when you see my guts spilling out." 

Jason chuckled. "I'm sure your insides are as beautiful as the outside." 

Piper managed a laugh as the room started moving. They were wheeling her into the operation room. 

"Jason, I love you," Piper murmured. "If something happens—"

"Nothing will happen," Jason said firmly. "Okay? You're gonna be fine." He leaned down and gave her a kiss before his hand slipped out of hers. 

<<< >>>

"What do you mean he can't be tested?" Annabeth almost yelled. It took all her conscious energy not to break down, and now the doctors were telling her that they couldn't know for sure if Percy had the coronavirus? "You tested me! If you didn't have enough, you should've said so. I would've given him mine in a heartbeat!" 

Her heart was pounding, the blood rushing deafeningly in her ears. Annabeth had paced a hole into the floor of the waiting room, the mask she had to wear not at all helping her looming claustrophobia. 

"It's not that we don't have any testing kits left," Dr Langhari tried his best to explain. "But your husband almost definitely has the virus. All his symptoms tell us that. We can't afford to waste a testing kit on someone we know has a 99% chance of having it." 

The door clicked and Will Solace stepped through. "I'll handle it from here," he said quietly. 

Annabeth slumped onto the sofa, head in her hands. It had been half an hour since Percy was admitted into the ER, and they had refused to let her follow. 

Guilt had wracked her relentlessly ever since. God, the last conversation they had was an argument. And now he could-he could die. 

Annabeth couldn't comprehend it. She thought that if she did she might really break down. Once she started crying, she knew she wouldn't stop. 

Their lives had been packed with danger from the start. She'd never expected an illness to be on the list of their worries. But the way he'd lain there, all lifeless as he was carted off, a ventilator hooked up to him...

When Dr Langhari left the room, Will knelt down in front of her, putting a tentative hand on her shoulder. Will had been working as a cardiology resident when the pandemic struck, and now he was one of the many doctors treating coronavirus patients. 

"Your test results are still being processed," Will said slowly. Hence his protective gear. "There's a high chance you'll also have it, since you and Percy have been in close proximity for a while." 

"He was helping them transport sick patients last week," Annabeth said helplessly. "In the police vehicles. There weren't enough ambulances." 

"There's no saying how this could've happened, but he's on life support right now," Will sighed. "I'll do my best to make sure he gets better." 

Annabeth felt her eyes brim with tears. She knew the numbers. She'd always made it a priority to keep informed, and now she regretted it. Sometimes knowledge was a burden. 

Once a patient was in critical condition, the chances of survival were significantly lower than those with mild symptoms. "Can I see him?" She knew it was a long shot. 

Will swallowed. "Not until we get the test results. The hospital lab is running them already. You should get them in a couple of hours." 

"After that?" Annabeth asked warily. 

Will shrugged. "We'll see." 

The grimness in his features told Annabeth that Percy's condition was a lot worse than he was letting on. So she waited for three hours in the bleak waiting room, staring at a wall as she replayed every moment she'd shared with Percy. 

The kiss at Mount St. Helen's. 

Tartarus. Hell, she'd go through it all again if it meant Percy would get better. At least then, they'd been together. 

What was it he'd said as they dangled off the edge above Tartarus? 

We're staying together. You're not getting away from me. Never again. 

"As long as we're together," Annabeth whispered under her breath, burying her face in her hands. 

Don't leave me, Percy. Not yet. 

Annabeth shot to her feet when Will returned, holding a file in his hands. 

"Negative," Will said with a smile, and Annabeth visibly deflated, her shoulders loosening. The hours had given her time to take inventory of everything that had happened. 

"That's lucky," Annabeth said with a frown.

"That's the thing," Will said. "The virus has been incubating in Percy for a while now. There's no way you didn't contract it. The lab thinks you did catch it from him, but recovered quickly while he deteriorated into a critical condition." 

Annabeth stared at him in stunned silence. 

"You're immune," Will confirmed her silent thoughts. "The antibodies your body produce against it means that you can fight it off easily in the future." He handed her file. "It also means you can see Percy." 

Annabeth's eyes widened. "Really?" 

Will nodded. "You'll have to wear protective gear, of course. Can't risk you transmitting some other respiratory infection to him right now—" His phone chimed, interrupting him mid-sentence. 

Annabeth felt her heart skip a beat when Will's face fell gravely. 

"Code Blue," Will breathed. 

Annabeth had seen enough TV to know what that meant; Percy's heart had stopped beating. 

"Will!" Annabeth yelled, following at his heels as he raced down the hallway, white coast fluttering behind him. 

She came to an abrupt halt outside Percy's hospital room. The glass meant that she could see him and the EKG machine showing his flatlining heartbeat. 

Annabeth felt feverish, almost dizzy as she collapsed against the wall. Shouts came from within the ICU room, the nurses and Will communicating rapidly back and forth. She dodged the carts and doctors briskly walking up and down the corridor. 

The wards here held all the coronavirus patients in critical condition. Not just Percy, but probably a dozen other in this corridor alone. 

There were about four other beds in Percy's room, patients coughing uncontrollably or slumbering uneasily. Annabeth felt her throat tighten; this was horrible. 

Her gaze locked on Percy, every nerve in her body screaming at her to race in there to be with him. Annabeth forced herself to stick to the wall, staying out of people's ways as Will tried desperately to resuscitate Percy. 

The nurse halted her chest compressions on him as Will grabbed the two pads, yelling "Clear!" 

Everything seemed to slow down. Annabeth watched in horror as Percy's body jolted grotesquely with the electricity of the defibrillator. 

Annabeth felt her legs weaken at the knees, threatening to buckle under her weight. She wanted so badly to pray to her mother, to Apollo, to anyone who could help, but she couldn't bring forth the coherency to do so. 

Percy was dying. 

Percy.

<<< >>>

"Clear!" Will's yell jolted Annabeth out of her reverie. Shaking the haze from her mind, Annabeth waited with bated breath and fear as the defibrillator shocked Percy for a second time. 

His heart still wasn't beating. 

For a heart-stopping moment, Annabeth could hear the palpitations against her ribcage.

Ba-dum. Ba-dum. 

Percy...

Beep. Beep. Beep. 

Annabeth nearly collapsed from sheer relief as Percy's heart monitor showed a steady heart rate. The expression on Will's face was pure elation as he successfully revived the Hero of Olympus. 

There were a couple of minutes where Annabeth just gazed at Percy. His hair was messy, but the nurses had changed him out of his clothes and into hospital scrubs. His eyelids stayed obstinately shut, and Annabeth desperately wished she could see his green eyes again. 

You will, she reminded herself. He's not gone. Just sleeping. 

He looked so peaceful. Annabeth had woken up to her husband for almost a year, and she still couldn't believe it. Every time she'd open her eyes, and he would blur into vision. And Annabeth would wonder what she'd ever done to deserve someone as amazing as Percy. 

Her heartstrings tugged painfully as Annabeth realised that she'd nearly lost him. Time was precious, even when they thought they were safe from monsters. 

"He's stabilised." Will materialised beside her, the colour returning to his face. 

Annabeth gave him a weak smile. "Thank you. I'd give you a hug if we weren't in an infectious disease ward right now." 

Will gestured to Percy's ward. "Do you, uh, want to see him?" 

Annabeth glanced at him in surprise. "I-Am I allowed to do that?" 

Will nodded. "He's on a ventilator," he explained. "That's life support. Percy looks like he'll make it through the night, but some other patients don't, so we usually allow one family member to visit." 

Annabeth understood the undercurrent in his tone. Will clearly didn't want to frighten her, but Percy wasn't out of the woods yet. Every second mattered. 

After making sure her mask was tight and shrugging on a light covering, Annabeth entered the ward hesitantly, glancing around at the other patients. 

"No protective gear?" an elderly Chinese man on the bed next to Percy's croaked. 

"Recovered," Annabeth said lightly, offering him a smile. "Are you feeling okay?" 

"For now, yes," he said cheerfully. Annabeth was impressed by his upbeat spirits. 

"I'm Annabeth," she introduced, gesturing to Percy. "This is my husband, Percy." 

The man smiled good-naturedly. Annabeth expected that if she'd ever met her grandparents, this was what they'd be like. 

"I'm Quentin," the man replied. "Your husband's a young guy." 

"I guess the virus doesn't differentiate," Annabeth sighed. She wasn't sure why Percy had been so badly affected. Typically, anyone who was young and without any underlying health conditions was fine. 

Well, she and Percy always had had the worst luck. 

Quentin rolled over, and Annabeth was grateful for the privacy as she sat down at the foot of Percy's bed. 

My Seaweed Brain, she thought fondly, smiling to herself. 

"Oh, Percy," she whispered. "I don't think I've ever been that afraid in my entire life." 

"I was horrible," Annabeth sniffled. "You made dinner. You've been nothing but incredible, and all I've done is get annoyed at you. I'm sorry. When you wake up, you can crash as many of my conference calls as you like." 

"You mean so much more to me than any of that," Annabeth breathed. "I love you so much." 

She wasn't sure if she imagined it, but something a lot like a smile crossed Percy's face. The contagious positivity made her smile too. 

Even asleep, Percy was her comfort. 

<<< >>>

Piper sat up, her hand gripping a pillow uncertainly. It was the most unsettling feeling, being under anaesthesia. The epidural administered to her spine had been painful, but nothing compared to the contractions she'd suffered through. 

Piper had to keep her eyes from drooping, exhaustion starting to overwhelm her now that the pain wasn't there to keep her awake. 

"Okay, Piper, we'll be starting the procedure soon," Dr Harrow told her, giving her a reassuring smile. Piper mustered what energy she had remaining and returned it weakly. 

Coming to the hospital had been the best decision ever. Sure, Piper was still nervous about the state of the coronavirus and her baby's birth into the middle of it, but she felt safer and much more secure here. 

The glass door slid open, and Jason walked through, eyes flashing both anxiously and with excitement. His hair was covered with a surgical cap, and he was wearing a green dress of sorts to cover up. 

None of that mattered. Piper would know those blue eyes anywhere. 

"Nice outfit," Piper informed him with a laugh. 

Jason sat down beside her, taking her hand. "I'm thinking of getting one for myself," he said humorously. 

Piper couldn't help the nervous speeding up of her heart as a nurse drew up the green sheet over her stomach, blocking of her view of anything below her upper ribs. 

"You should probably stay on this side of the curtain," Dr Harrow advised Jason before she disappeared behind the sheet, just the top of her cap visible over it. 

Jason exchanged a nervous look with Piper. She gripped Jason's hand tightly. "I can't feel anything below here," Piper whispered. "It's so weird." 

"We're about to become parents, Pipes," Jason breathed. 

Piper sucked in a sharp breath like she'd been punched. The last 12 hours had been an utter mess, what with agonising contractions and worrying about the baby, that Piper hadn't actually thought about what would happen when he came out. 

She was going to be a mum. Piper made a silent promise to herself that she'd aim to be a better parent than her own mother. No unneeded fashion advice or butting into the baby's life. 

"Doing a lateral incision now," Dr Harrow voiced, for their benefit. A lot more medical talk that neither Piper nor Jason understood ensured behind the curtain, but Dr Harrow made sure to keep them updated on her progress. 

It felt almost eerie, Piper thought. After hours of pain, now she just felt...nothing. 

Jason helped. If he hadn't been there, Piper would probably have freaked out completely without any chance of calming down. 

At one point, Jason seemed to just lean over too much by accident. Upon catching a glimpse of whatever was going on behind the curtain, Jason promptly went a shade of green to match his scrubs, looking like he was about to pass out. 

Piper laughed when she saw that. It kept her distracted from wondering what was going on behind the curtain. She'd never seen her own organs, and she didn't plan on seeing them anytime soon. 

The surgery was, ironically, the smoothest part of Piper's entire day. Going into labour was stressful, knowing Percy was possibly in critical condition at the hospital was worse. This was controlled. There was only one outcome. 

Despite all the assurance Piper felt leading up to the birth, the moment Dr Harrow declared "He's here" she felt her breath catch in her throat. 

Piper's heart hammered madly as Dr Harrow carried over a small writhing ball of flesh, covered in blood and a ton of other things she wished she hadn't seen. 

"Oh my Gods," she whispered. "Is that..." Piper glanced up to see Jason's blue eyes shining. 

"Would you like to cut the umbilical chord?" Dr Harrow asked, a nurse offering a pair of scissors to Piper. 

She nodded tearily, pulling Jason closer to hold the scissors. Together, laughing quietly and in disbelief, Piper and Jason cut the long tube-like feature. 

The baby's wails echoed around the silent room, but they were music to Piper's ears. This was everything her blood, sweat and tears the last 24 hours had led to. Oh, it was so worth it. 

He was swaddled in a small blanket, blood crusted on his tiny cheeks, his hands — oh, his hands were too small to be true — balled into fists. Dr Harrow carefully placed the baby into Piper's arms, resting him comfortably against her chest. 

Piper's vision blurred with happy tears, her hand brushing them away impatiently as she got her first look. 

Within moments, her baby quickly became her son. Piper felt connected to her son — Gods, he was her son — despite it being impossible. "I already love him so much," she choked out.

Jason was, if possible, even more emotional than she was. His hands trembled as his fingers brushed against their son's fist. "He's so small," Jason whispered. 

"Jasper Tristan Grace," Piper breathed with a small smile. 'Jasper' had been a name they favoured even before Percy realised it was a delightful combination of their names. 

"The world we're bringing you into is confusing, even horrible at times," Jason whispered. "But it's yours." 

<<< >>>

"Leo!" Calypso yelled. What in Tartarus was taking him so long? She was leading the machine around the apartment, keeping it away from the bedroom. The wind spirits obeyed her command, but she was tiring from the consistent use of offensive magic. 

Calypso blasted the robot back, taking the opportunity to race past it, narrow dodging the broom that whacked down on the ground where she was standing a second ago. She ripped open the kitchen drawers to hinder the machine as she went. 

Leaping from side to side to confuse it, Calypso yelped as the vacuum started up again, sucking away utensils into the hollow tube. In the back of her mind, she wondered what she was going to find when she emptied the robot out.

Distracted by the vacuum, Calypso didn't see the mop that slammed into her side, sending her crashing to the ground in a mess of tangled limbs. 

A painful moan escaped her as she rolled over, holding her bruised side as she looked up warily at the machine. 

"Hey, metalhead!" 

Calypso nearly collapsed with relief. Oh, good, Leo was here. 

"Eat fire!" 

Calypso screamed when a massive fireball hurtled overhead, just singing the tips of her stray hairs as it pummelled the robot back, burning it face off into an even more terrifying mask. 

She rolled onto her back, reaching out a hand. It was like they thought with one mind. The handcuffs had left Leo's hand in an aimed throw before she had even turned around, and it landed perfectly in her outstretched hand. 

Scrambling forward, Calypso took advantage of the robot's distraction and slapped one of the cuffs onto its left leg, and the other onto the handle of the trash chute. 

"Go, go!" Leo hollered, panting as he came to a stop beside her, hands at the ready. Another fireball lit up in either hand as he prepared to launch another attack. 

Calypso pounced on the robot, wrapping her legs around its neck as she pressed her palms into the metal and closed her eyes. She imagined the spirit leaving the machine and seeing back into her hands. It would trail out and disappear into her skin, leaving the robot lifeless. 

The machine creaked angrily — was that even possible? — and Calypso was roughly shaken about as it yanked itself free of the handcuffs, snapping them in two pieces. 

Leo released another fireball. The searing heat scoured Calypso's face, but she ignored it, trying her best to focus on the robot. 

Come on, come on, come on—

The rough shaking came to a screeching halt as the machine finally deactivated, no more magic to sustain its life. Unfortunately, that also meant that the momentum forced Calypso to pitch forward, throwing her off in a violent motion. 

Her shriek reverberated around the apartment as Calypso landed in a heap on the other side of the kitchen, her head hitting the counter painfully. A dizzy spell overtook her mind, jumbling you her thoughts. 

"Zeus," she cursed under her breath, rubbing her head. Calypso struggled to prop herself up on her elbows, and she glanced up to see Leo looking anxiously at her. 

Sitting up against the cupboards, Calypso gave him a weak smile. "Nice job." 

Leo released a chuckle of disbelief. "That was the most badass thing I've ever seen you do." 

"What? You've never seen me take down a vacuum cleaner before?" Calypso laughed. "Please, that's just my normal Monday—" 

He interrupted her by smashing his lips on hers, eliciting a gasp as Calypso took a second to respond. Her hands circled around his neck and clasped behind it as she reeled him in closer. 

When they drew apart, Calypso struggling for breath. "Wow, okay, we should do this more..." Her voice trailed off into a choked gasp, her hands flying to her mouth. 

There was a ring in Leo's hand. A massive, sparkling ruby atop it and a wide grin on his face. 

"Calypso," Leo started slowly. "Because I don't know your last name — just Calypso." 

"Leo," Calypso breathed, still refusing to believe what was happening right now. They had utterly destroyed the kitchen in their attempts to deactivate the robot. 

Forks, spoons and knives lay scattered around aimlessly. 

"Since the day I met you, you have been the most beautiful woman I have ever known." Leo looked like he was nervous enough to bolt, but he stayed, and that meant everything to her. "Inside and out. My friends mean everything to me, but you were the first person I knew would love me unconditionally. You screamed at me when I landed on your beach." 

She managed a weak laugh. "You're welcome, by the way." 

"I can always be myself around you," Leo chuckled. "Even when you say that you're 'lost for words' and yet, still manage to scream at me for thirty minutes." The grin on his face stretched from ear to ear, and his eyes sparkled with excitement. "I love you so much, Calypso. Will you marry me?" 

Calypso allowed herself a second to release the breath she hadn't been realised she'd been holding. 

"Yes!" she cried, attacking Leo with a hug. "Yes! Yes, of course, I'll marry you, you idiot!" Calypso buried her face in his shoulder, happy tears seeping into his t-shirt as they curled up together, laughing and crying in the middle of a ruined apartment. 

Calypso didn't have anywhere else she'd rather be. 

"Get a room!" 

Calypso almost jumped out of her skin, whirling her head around to see Jason and Piper looking at them through an Iris message. 

Piper laughed. "Oh, it's nice to..." She trailed off when she saw Leo slip the ring onto Calypso's finger, the two of them sharing a conspiratorial smile. 

"Oh my Gods!" Jason's eyes widened. "Are you—Did you—"

Leo nodded vigorously. "We're engaged!" he shouted triumphantly as Calypso raised her hand with the ring on it, unable to keep the smile from her face. "It was terrifying!" he blurted out. "I was so scared and—"

Calypso's eyes bugged. "Is that a baby?" she interrupted incredulously. 

Leo looked at her with a weird expression, then turned back to the IM. He gaped. "That's a—You're holding a baby!" 

"Haven't you seen any of our messages?" Piper demanded. "I went into labour this morning!" 

Calypso turned to Leo, open-mouthed. She'd been busy practising her magic the entire day, and Leo had been absorbed with his tinkering. 

She glanced at the clock, suddenly realising the time. 11.59pm. Just before midnight. 

"We called you because, well, you couldn't be here, but you would probably have been the first one to hold him after us," Piper said emphatically. 

Leo's brow furrowed. "What?" 

"We've agreed that no one else would be a better godfather than you, Leo," Jason confirmed Calypso's suspicions. 

Leo ogled them speechlessly, and Calypso had never seen him more astonished in the years she'd known him. 

"G-godfather?" he echoed, voice wavering with emotion. 

Piper nodded, eyes shining. "Of course!" she insisted. "Who else would it be?" 

"I-I'm irresponsible," Leo couldn't help the words as they escaped him. "I'd be a terrible godfather." 

"You'd be a great godfather," Calypso correctes him immediately. 

"Look at our apartment!" Leo gestured wildly at the chaos surrounding them. 

Jason looked like he wanted to ask a few more questions, but he shook his head. "Leo, there's no one else we'd trust Jasper with more than you." 

Calypso gripped Leo's hand tightly as his eyes brimmed with tears. People who thought Leo cared more about machines than his friends were blind. Leo was the most caring person she knew. 

"He's adorable," Leo said fondly, gazing at the baby. Jasper had Piper's kaleidoscopic eyes, but Jason's blonde hair. "I'm gonna teach you how to be awesome, buddy," he said to the most image. 

Calypso exhaled as she slumped against the cupboard, smiling as she watched Leo and his godson. "This has been an eventful 24 hours. You had a baby. We got engaged." 

Piper and Jason exchanged a wary look that made her uneasy. "You haven't checked your phones at all?" Piper asked worriedly. 

"Is there something else we should know about?" Leo asked, confused. 

Jason swallowed. "Percy, uh, Percy's in the hospital. Annabeth said it's the coronavirus." 

Calypso gasped in horror. "No," she said, bewildered. "No, no, we should've known—" Percy was the first demigod she met who would later introduce her into this wonderful world of theirs. He was one of her best friends. 

"Is he okay?" Leo demanded, visibly upset. This had to be an emotional rollercoaster for him. 

"Annabeth said he was in the ICU," Jason relayed. "Haven't heard anything more from her." 

"Oh, Gods, Annabeth," Calypso realised with a feeling of dread. Percy was Annabeth's other half. This had to be killing her. "We should check on her." 

"Will's with her," Piper said, sounding like she was trying to reassure herself more than them. "He should be fine." Her tone was doubtful and concerned. 

Calypso glanced at Leo worriedly. Of course, the day couldn't have just stayed perfect. 

<<< >>>

A sterile, white ceiling was the first thing Percy saw. Annabeth's voice was the last thing he remembered. 

His eyelids fluttered unsteadily, and it took all his effort to fully open them. Percy felt like he'd breathed in a sandstorm. Every breath grated in his throat. His lungs were sore, and his body was wracked with aches. 

Percy's gaze drifted upwards. Annabeth was sitting in a chair beside him, a crossword puzzle in her left hand, her other hand clutching a pen. Her face scrunched up in the cute way it always did when she concentrated on something. 

The next thing he noticed was the beeping monitor to his other side. A heart monitor. Percy frowned. Was he in the hospital? 

"Annabeth?" he rasped weakly. 

Annabeth's grey eyes widened fractionally before the crossword fell out of her hand. "Percy!" the relief in her voice was palpable, and the red rings around her eyes made it look like she'd been crying. 

Percy was dismayed; why was she crying? 

"I'm not allowed to touch you," Annabeth whispered, but her face was crumpled into something of sheer happiness at the sight of him. "But I would kiss you right now if I could." 

"Worth the risk," Percy murmured. The blue mask might have marred her features, but it also made the grey in her eyes more prominent. 

"Not for me," Annabeth sniffled. "Percy, do you know how terrified I was? You almost died!" The distress in her voice made Percy want to hug her until she relaxed. 

"You do love me," he mumbled. 

Annabeth looked like she was between a laugh and a sob. "We've been married for a year, Percy." 

"Yes, but as friends or more?" Percy questioned. "Unclear." 

The corners of her eyes crinkled, telling Percy that his words had worked; she was laughing. 

"I heard you," Percy whispered. "Earlier." 

Annabeth's eyes fluttered as she gazed at him in surprise. "You-you did?" 

Percy nodded, his movements sluggish. He'd been drifting between consciousness and sleep at the time. He had felt a sharp pain and heard the shouts of doctors and nurses. 

Then Annabeth spoke to him. The memory felt almost like a dream. Percy hadn't even been sure if it was real until she confirmed it. 

"I love you too," he assured her. "And I'm definitely going to crash your conference calls from now on." 

"You do that," Annabeth choked out with a laugh. "I thought you were going to die, Percy. Never, ever do that to me again." 

"I really would kiss you right now," Percy whispered. 

Annabeth clasped her hands together as she gazed at him. "I know." 

<<< >>>

Will trailed behind Annabeth as she led the way, following the signs to the correct wing of the hospital. 

Today had been eventful. Percy had, thankfully, resumed breathing on his own about an hour after resuscitation. Will had instructed that he be moved to another ward now that he was no longer in critical condition. 

Percy would still be closely watched for the next few weeks, but the worst was over. He was going to be okay. 

Will wasn't quite sure what he'd have done if they'd lost Percy today. He'd looked up to the other man ever since he was a boy, having heard all about Percy's quests. Meeting him only confirmed everything he heard. 

The recent years had brought him closer to both Percy and Annabeth, mostly through Nico. Will knew that Percy's loss would've been devastating for Annabeth. It would kill him if the same thing happened to Nico. 

"Ward 23," Annabeth confirmed as they reached the correct door, the number displayed in bold, white characters. 

Will stepped through the door of the post-birth ward. 

Piper sat on the bed, tangled in the white sheets as she chatted with Jason. Their conversation ceased once Annabeth and Will stepped in. 

"Oh, Annabeth!" Piper brightened instantly. "Will!" She pulled a face. "I'd hug you, but, well, social distancing." 

Will peered over to see the transparent tray holding what had to be little Jasper. Jason and Piper's son was swaddled in adorable blankets, freshly showered. 

The moon glinted bright outside in time with the clock reading 2am. Will couldn't help smiling at the slumbering baby. "He's so cute," he sighed. 

"Not so much when he's crying," Piper frowned. 

Jason shrugged. "He wouldn't stop screaming his head off earlier. Guess we have a nice taste of what the next two years are gonna be like." 

Annabeth approached the crib hesitantly, hand stretched out tentatively. Her fingers brushed the tufts of hair on Jasper's head before she withdrew it, smiling madly. 

Will recognised the love in her eyes. It reflected what he felt. Jasper had been in the world less than three hours, and he already had countless people willing to die for him. 

This was what he was fighting for. This was why he worked day and night, sometimes going without sleep for 48 hours in this crisis. To build a better world for the new babies brought into this world. 

"I can't believe you have a baby," Annabeth murmured. "The first one of us to have one." 

"Yeah, we don't feel like parents yet," Jason said worriedly. "I keep thinking I'm going to drop him every time I hold him. That's the real reason he's sleeping in there." 

"You're gonna be great parents," Will told them sincerely. It was true. Piper and Jason were born to do this. He'd seen babies born in this hospital a billion times, and none of the parents had been certain. But they'd all eventually figured it out. 

"Thanks," Piper said with a smile. Her expression fell slightly. "How's Percy?" 

Will watched as Annabeth stared at her feet, a ghost of a smile on her face. 

"He woke up earlier," Will chuckled. "Refused to go back to sleep until Nurse Isla threatened to push fluids into his IV that would make him." 

Piper and Jason both visibly relaxed, relieved that their friend was safe. Will glanced between the four of them. Everyone at camp knew that the Seven had gone through hell together, but he was one of the few who got to see the solid friendships they'd built on the way. 

"I should get back to the ward," Will said mournfully. "I'll come see you guys on my next break. Take care." 

As he shut the door behind him, Will felt a smile drift over his face. 

When he reached further down the corridor, he pulled out his phone and dialled a number that had long become imprinted in his brain. 

The other line clicked on. "Hello?"

"I love you," Will blurted out. 

There was a beat of silence. "That was sudden," Nico's words crackled through, amusement in his voice. "Something happen?" 

"We almost lost Percy," Will sighed. "Piper and Jason had a baby. What didn't happen?" 

Nico snorted. "Of course, this is the one time I'm not around to see things happen." 

"They'll IM you soon," Will reassured him. "I just," he paused. "I don't know. Sometimes I get so deep in the work that I forget why I do this. And I remember that it's for the patients, for the parents, and for you." 

"You're a hero, Will," came Nico's begrudging response. Will was surprised; despite the fact that Nico had gotten more open with him over the last few years, he rarely gave any emotional displays. "Not just the kind that all demigods are. You're fighting a battle the rest of us can't even begin to understand." 

Will swallowed. "Thanks. I, uh, I also lost a patient today." An older man, also in Percy's ward. "He knew he wasn't going to make it. Gave up his ventilator for someone else." 

Nico fell quiet. 

"What was his name?" Nico asked quietly. 

"Quentin." Will swallowed. "He was here for two weeks. It hit me hard to lose him." Will exhaled slowly. "I just needed to hear your voice." 

Will glanced at the clock. "I need to get back to the ward. See you later?" 

"See you." 

As Will made to move the phone, Nico's voice interrupted, "Oh, and Will?" 

Will paused. "Yeah?" 

"I love you too." 

Will smiled as the line clicked off and Nico hung up.


End file.
